So I will contiunue this after all. Kick me if I don't.
Roderich slumped to his knees when he saw the TV. Gilbert’s sudden outbreak made him twitch. If his legs had allowed him to do so he would have run upstairs again and hid under the blanket. Or the bed, maybe.
Gilbert kneeled down next to him. He had seen the burning letters on the front lawn. Understanding these wasn’t too hard. It was a threat and a warning to him and most likely to Roderich as well. So he wrapped his arms around the thin man and hid his face against his chest.
Gilbert himself kept his eyes fixed on the television, though. He somewhat wished he could also cover Roderich’s ears as well. He shot Ludwig a glance and nodded at him. Luckily, his brother got his hint. He quickly muted the news.
Gilbert could feel Roderich shaking in his arms. He whispered soothing words in his ear but it didn’t help at all. There was nothing else he could think of doing. Somehow, he wished for Elizabeta to be here the last time at the hospital. He hated to admit it but she knew damn well how to break through to Roderich. He just wished he could do the same.
“It’s him, right?” Roderich suddenly whispered. His voice was so shaky it was difficult to understand. “He’s going to take. I know he will. And he will get back at you, Gilbert.” He was almost crying. Gilbert pressed him harder against his chest. He hoped that would somehow soothe the other man.
“Shush,” Gilbert made. “Don’t worry about this. I will get him before he gets me.” He was trying to sound as serious and sure about this as he could. He wasn’t a hundred percent sure about this, but that shouldn’t concern Roderich right now. “He was after me before I busted that house after all.”
Roderich slowly shook his head. “No, you won’t. He won’t let you do that,” he whimpered.
Gilbert gently pushed him away from his chest again. He wanted to be able to look him in the eye for this. He tried to shove all insecurity out of his eyes. Gilbert didn’t know if that worked but he had to try. There was no way he would show Roderich any weakness in this situation.
“Listen, I will, I promise,” Gilbert said as calmly as possible. “I got myself into this a long time ago, I just made him mad some more. I didn’t let anything happen to Ludwig before and I surely won’t let anything to either of you now. I won’t, understood? If he really wants to scare me he has to do more than blow up an empty house. I won’t let him get me. I will get him. Trust me, I’ll get him and drag that brat screaming and kicking in front of a judge where he belongs.”
Roderich nodded. But his eyes still flickered like he was a hunted little animal. Gilbert wasn’t sure if he had understood what he had just said. He just had to trust he could live up to that promise. There was no other good alternative for him after all.
Suddenly, Ludwig was beside them. He carefully touched Roderich’s arm. He held a glass of water in his hand. Gilbert hadn’t even noticed that he had gone into the kitchen. “I got you some sleeping medicine if you want,” Ludwig told Roderich. His voice sounded unusual soft while he was speaking to him. “I thought this might help you. But you don’t have to take it if you don’t want.”
Roderich slowly turned his head to look at Ludwig at first and then at the pill. He looked some more just in case the pill suddenly turned into something else, before he gingerly took it. Then, he also took the glass of water.
“How fast?” he whispered.
“About half an hour,” Ludwig replied. “I will keep you company, if you want me to.”
Roderich shook his head. “’s fine,” he whispered. “Gilbert will anyway.” Then, he closed his eyes and quickly took the pill before he gulped down all of the water after it.
He kept his eyes shut a bit after that before he slowly handed the glass back to Ludwig. Gilbert could see his hands were shaking. He hugged the other again.
“I’ll bring you upstairs, okay?” he asked.
Roderich nodded. It did take him quite some effort and a bit of Ludwig’s help to get up though. Gilbert knew he would be able to catch Roderich if he fell on their way to his room, but he’d rather not. He just stood there and waited for Roderich to be ready to move.
I'm a bonus
Later that evening, Gilbert finally decided to come out of Roderich’s room again. He had sat by his bedside all the time until Roderich had finally fallen asleep. And some more afterwards. The sleeping medicine had actually helped quite a lot. Gilbert didn’t think Roderich would have slept at all that night without it.
On his way to the living room again, Gilbert opened and closed his fist some times. He had held the other’s hand all the time while he was sitting by his side and he had had the strange sensation of feeling their hands still touching. Roderich’s hand hadn’t been as cold as Gilbert had expected but it still had felt somewhat weird.
The living room was dark when Gilbert came down. He looked around. He could smell coffee from the kitchen. Well, he hadn’t expected his brother to be in bed by now. Usually, he wouldn’t go without pestering Gilbert to have at least something for dinner.
When Gilbert came into the kitchen, Ludwig was sitting at his laptop. By the looks of it he was working. He wore his reading glasses and held a streaming cup of coffee in his hand. Gilbert took a mug out of the cupboard and helped himself to some coffee as well. He felt so tired.
“Didn’t the doctor say you shouldn’t have any coffee past ten if you want to sleep at night?” Gilbert asked as he poured some of the coffee in his mug.
Ludwig shrugged. “So what?“ He clicked around on his laptop but Gilbert wasn’t that sure he was really working anymore. Ludwig nodded at the door. “Did he fall asleep?“
Gilbert nodded. “Almost as soon as he lay down,” he lied. They had been talking for a while before Roderich had finally fallen asleep. He was really afraid. Gilbert had reassured him for quite some times that he would protect him no matter what. He had tried to sooth him as best as he could. It had taken some time, but eventually, Roderich had calmed enough to fall asleep with the help of the sleeping medicine.
Ludwig raised an eyebrow but knew better than to comment on that. “Your cell has been buzzing all night,” he sighed. Gilbert strolled over to the table. He didn’t sit down though. He felt too much on edge to do so.
“Listen,” Ludwig started. He had taken his glasses of and was rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even think when I came running up to get you. Everyone was freaking out on the news and when I came home your cell was buzzing non-stop, I thought this would be too important to wait. I’m sorry I didn’t think.” He looked down on his lap. Gilbert knew he couldn’t look him in the eye when he felt this guilty. His brother never could.
Gilbert waved it away. “Not your fault,” he mumbled. He slowly went into the hall to get his phone he had left with his keys as he had come home. It showed him a ton of missed calls. Almost all by his boss and coworkers. He could feel his anger boil up again. Something had happened at that explosion. He knew it before he listened to the voicemail.
“I answered one of the calls earlier,” Ludwig told him as he wandered back in the kitchen. “They were pretty worried about you because of the whole thing between you and Vargas. They thought … well, something might have happened to you as well.”
“As well?” Gilbert echoed.
Ludwig looked away again. Gilbert could see some of his muscles tensing. He knew this meant Ludwig prepared to be shouted at. “There were some of your people in there. There was a drugs bust or something like that going on when the house went up. …they didn’t release this to the press yet but it’s only a matter of time.” Ludwig stared at his brother.
Gilbert turned away. He didn’t want his brother to see the look on his face now. He thumped the wall next to him. He couldn’t even thing of curses now.
“Just wait for it,” he whispered. “Just you wait for it, Vargas. I will get you and then pray to God that you don’t give me any reason to kill you. Because I will…”
First chapter: Link
Next chapter: Link
Previous chapter: Link
Gilbert kneeled down next to him. He had seen the burning letters on the front lawn. Understanding these wasn’t too hard. It was a threat and a warning to him and most likely to Roderich as well. So he wrapped his arms around the thin man and hid his face against his chest.
Gilbert himself kept his eyes fixed on the television, though. He somewhat wished he could also cover Roderich’s ears as well. He shot Ludwig a glance and nodded at him. Luckily, his brother got his hint. He quickly muted the news.
Gilbert could feel Roderich shaking in his arms. He whispered soothing words in his ear but it didn’t help at all. There was nothing else he could think of doing. Somehow, he wished for Elizabeta to be here the last time at the hospital. He hated to admit it but she knew damn well how to break through to Roderich. He just wished he could do the same.
“It’s him, right?” Roderich suddenly whispered. His voice was so shaky it was difficult to understand. “He’s going to take. I know he will. And he will get back at you, Gilbert.” He was almost crying. Gilbert pressed him harder against his chest. He hoped that would somehow soothe the other man.
“Shush,” Gilbert made. “Don’t worry about this. I will get him before he gets me.” He was trying to sound as serious and sure about this as he could. He wasn’t a hundred percent sure about this, but that shouldn’t concern Roderich right now. “He was after me before I busted that house after all.”
Roderich slowly shook his head. “No, you won’t. He won’t let you do that,” he whimpered.
Gilbert gently pushed him away from his chest again. He wanted to be able to look him in the eye for this. He tried to shove all insecurity out of his eyes. Gilbert didn’t know if that worked but he had to try. There was no way he would show Roderich any weakness in this situation.
“Listen, I will, I promise,” Gilbert said as calmly as possible. “I got myself into this a long time ago, I just made him mad some more. I didn’t let anything happen to Ludwig before and I surely won’t let anything to either of you now. I won’t, understood? If he really wants to scare me he has to do more than blow up an empty house. I won’t let him get me. I will get him. Trust me, I’ll get him and drag that brat screaming and kicking in front of a judge where he belongs.”
Roderich nodded. But his eyes still flickered like he was a hunted little animal. Gilbert wasn’t sure if he had understood what he had just said. He just had to trust he could live up to that promise. There was no other good alternative for him after all.
Suddenly, Ludwig was beside them. He carefully touched Roderich’s arm. He held a glass of water in his hand. Gilbert hadn’t even noticed that he had gone into the kitchen. “I got you some sleeping medicine if you want,” Ludwig told Roderich. His voice sounded unusual soft while he was speaking to him. “I thought this might help you. But you don’t have to take it if you don’t want.”
Roderich slowly turned his head to look at Ludwig at first and then at the pill. He looked some more just in case the pill suddenly turned into something else, before he gingerly took it. Then, he also took the glass of water.
“How fast?” he whispered.
“About half an hour,” Ludwig replied. “I will keep you company, if you want me to.”
Roderich shook his head. “’s fine,” he whispered. “Gilbert will anyway.” Then, he closed his eyes and quickly took the pill before he gulped down all of the water after it.
He kept his eyes shut a bit after that before he slowly handed the glass back to Ludwig. Gilbert could see his hands were shaking. He hugged the other again.
“I’ll bring you upstairs, okay?” he asked.
Roderich nodded. It did take him quite some effort and a bit of Ludwig’s help to get up though. Gilbert knew he would be able to catch Roderich if he fell on their way to his room, but he’d rather not. He just stood there and waited for Roderich to be ready to move.
I'm a bonus
Later that evening, Gilbert finally decided to come out of Roderich’s room again. He had sat by his bedside all the time until Roderich had finally fallen asleep. And some more afterwards. The sleeping medicine had actually helped quite a lot. Gilbert didn’t think Roderich would have slept at all that night without it.
On his way to the living room again, Gilbert opened and closed his fist some times. He had held the other’s hand all the time while he was sitting by his side and he had had the strange sensation of feeling their hands still touching. Roderich’s hand hadn’t been as cold as Gilbert had expected but it still had felt somewhat weird.
The living room was dark when Gilbert came down. He looked around. He could smell coffee from the kitchen. Well, he hadn’t expected his brother to be in bed by now. Usually, he wouldn’t go without pestering Gilbert to have at least something for dinner.
When Gilbert came into the kitchen, Ludwig was sitting at his laptop. By the looks of it he was working. He wore his reading glasses and held a streaming cup of coffee in his hand. Gilbert took a mug out of the cupboard and helped himself to some coffee as well. He felt so tired.
“Didn’t the doctor say you shouldn’t have any coffee past ten if you want to sleep at night?” Gilbert asked as he poured some of the coffee in his mug.
Ludwig shrugged. “So what?“ He clicked around on his laptop but Gilbert wasn’t that sure he was really working anymore. Ludwig nodded at the door. “Did he fall asleep?“
Gilbert nodded. “Almost as soon as he lay down,” he lied. They had been talking for a while before Roderich had finally fallen asleep. He was really afraid. Gilbert had reassured him for quite some times that he would protect him no matter what. He had tried to sooth him as best as he could. It had taken some time, but eventually, Roderich had calmed enough to fall asleep with the help of the sleeping medicine.
Ludwig raised an eyebrow but knew better than to comment on that. “Your cell has been buzzing all night,” he sighed. Gilbert strolled over to the table. He didn’t sit down though. He felt too much on edge to do so.
“Listen,” Ludwig started. He had taken his glasses of and was rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even think when I came running up to get you. Everyone was freaking out on the news and when I came home your cell was buzzing non-stop, I thought this would be too important to wait. I’m sorry I didn’t think.” He looked down on his lap. Gilbert knew he couldn’t look him in the eye when he felt this guilty. His brother never could.
Gilbert waved it away. “Not your fault,” he mumbled. He slowly went into the hall to get his phone he had left with his keys as he had come home. It showed him a ton of missed calls. Almost all by his boss and coworkers. He could feel his anger boil up again. Something had happened at that explosion. He knew it before he listened to the voicemail.
“I answered one of the calls earlier,” Ludwig told him as he wandered back in the kitchen. “They were pretty worried about you because of the whole thing between you and Vargas. They thought … well, something might have happened to you as well.”
“As well?” Gilbert echoed.
Ludwig looked away again. Gilbert could see some of his muscles tensing. He knew this meant Ludwig prepared to be shouted at. “There were some of your people in there. There was a drugs bust or something like that going on when the house went up. …they didn’t release this to the press yet but it’s only a matter of time.” Ludwig stared at his brother.
Gilbert turned away. He didn’t want his brother to see the look on his face now. He thumped the wall next to him. He couldn’t even thing of curses now.
“Just wait for it,” he whispered. “Just you wait for it, Vargas. I will get you and then pray to God that you don’t give me any reason to kill you. Because I will…”
First chapter: Link
Next chapter: Link
Previous chapter: Link